Beating the Heat
by AliaBobbwa
Summary: It's hot and there's nothing to do but clean the dojo. Well.. there's something else, too.. but are Ranma and Akane ready? Hell yah they are.


Summer, that vicious green bitch, flexed her sweaty muscles and flattened Nerima, Japan. The unexplained heat wave smashed into the city with the ferociousness of a rabid dog and knocked the occupants into a lethargic, dripping mass of people.   
  
Children stayed indoors, opting for Nintendo rather than Frisbee. Mothers lay on couches with fans blowing while watching daytime television and the working class groaned at the thought of cramming into subways.   
  
It was hot. Damn hot. The temperature had soared to a hundred and two with the air so thick it felt as if you could grab a fistful and wring it out. The sky was a pale blue, bleached by the merciless white sun.  
  
Ranma stood on the back veranda and wiped his damp face with a bandanna. Akane lay sprawled out below him, a palm sized battery operated fan in one hand, and a glass of iced tea in the other. Clad only in knee length, cargo shorts, Ranma lowered himself to sit next to his fiancee.   
  
"Why are we here and not in some air conditioned hotel in Hokkaido?" He asked, reaching for her iced tea and drinking half the glass. Akane's only reply was a lazy, groan as she continued fanning herself. Wiping at his brow again, Ranma watched the hazy heat rise like waves in the air. In the distance, the lonely sound of a train whistle echoed and the martial artist imagined himself on it, heading to some snowy mountain way up north. Glancing over to his sweltering companion, he let out a small grunt. "What exactly are we supposed to do today?" Akane creaked one eye open and let out a long, tired sigh.  
  
"Kasumi wants us to clean to dojo floor." She sat up a little, leaning back on her elbows, "I sorta promised her I'd do it last week... and... I sorta forgot."   
  
"Well then.. you should sorta do it yourself. Don't you think." Akane rolled her eyes.   
  
"I suppose. But I already know you're gonna help me."   
  
"I am?" He asked, a smile tugging at his lips.  
  
"Absolutely. You're too much of a gentleman to make me do it alone." Akane slowly got to her feet. "It's so hot." She whined.  
  
"Funny. You weren't calling me a gentleman yesterday." Ranma commented, turning his head up to her. Akane grabbed her iced tea and patted him on the head as she walked towards the kitchen.  
  
"Now you know better than anyone else that I only compliment you when I want something." Ranma shrugged and rolled onto his back, placing his hands behind his head.   
  
"Good enough for me." Letting his eyes flutter close, Ranma felt his lips twitching into a grin as he thought about his hot headed fiance. She was wearing a spaghetti strap red tank top and jean shorts that rode low enough on her hips that he was granted the pleasure of seeing her cute little belly button. He'd seen plenty of woman strutting around in their birthday suits, hell, he had one of his own, but that small ribbon of skin that flashed every time she raised her hands, sat down, or, thank the gods, breathed, drove him crazier than he could have ever imagined. "Hey 'Kane." He called out lazily. Her reply was a muffled 'what?' coming from the direction of the kitchen. "Did I tell you how hot you look today?" Akane's sunny laughter was heard floating from the house,   
  
"Nice try, Saotome... but you still have to help me clean." Ranma opened his eyes to see Akane's upside down face hovering above him.   
  
"Don't I at lease get points for effort?" He flashed her a sexy grin. Akane's tongue shot out to wet her dry lips and Ranma's gaze was drawn.   
  
"Hmm.. no points for originality ... timing a little off. But otherwise a good compliment. Russian judge gives you a score of 2. Not enough to keep you to round three."   
  
"Noted." Ranma rose with a graceful jump and landed behind Akane. "Let's get this over with, then." He slung a companionable arm around her, "You get the water, I'll grab the mops, then as soon as we're done, we'll get the hell out of Dodge." Akane's grin quickened his pulse. Afraid he might act on the sexual impulses he was feeling beating through his veins, he brought his arm back to his side, and hoped the move looked casual.  
  
"Oh, yah. But where could we go? It's too hot to stay.. too hot to leave." Ranma tapped her on the forehead.   
  
"Don't think so much. Everyone else found something to do. Kasumi's at the beach. Nabiki's at the mall. Our fathers are over my Mom's house praying to the god that is central air. They're all beating the heat in their own way---" He suddenly found his eyes roaming over her bronzed, sun kissed skin. Akane's hair framed her flushed cheeks and Ranma wanted nothing more than to sweep it to the side and start dropping little kisses to that spot right below her ear. His voice was heavy and thick when he spoke next, "I suppose we'll have to find something to do."   
  
Akane saw desire flash behind his eyes. But the look was gone just as fast as it came. Was it even there? She thought. Sure, flirting had become a fun, new thing for the teenagers since that fateful summer in China last year, but they never acted on it. Dreamed of doing it, but never did. We're not ready. The words flashed in her brain like a neon sign. Yet, as his eyes softened and his mouth turned up into a small smile, she wondered if maybe, after all this time, they finally were. Stepping back, she tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.   
  
"I'll meet you in the dojo.." She then turned to get cleaning supplies and left Ranma alone on the veranda. His hands itched to hold her. To press her against him without demons, demi gods, flying umbrellas, crazy skaters or whatever else to push them. He wanted her to voluntarily fall into his arms, press those pouty lips to his. To have her run her fingers up his chest, to cling to him. He wanted her to call his name out in gasping sighs as he made love to her....  
  
Rubbing the back of his neck, Ranma groaned. Wishing, for once, a bucket of freezing water would find it's way to his head, he climbed the stairs to the hall closet and grabbed two mops. What am I thinking? He scolded. We're not ready. We've just settled into a semi decent relationship. Shit, I can only now take her to the movies without the fear of her malleting me if I do something wrong. He shook his head. I've got three girls who can't take a fuckin' hint. Shampoo still comes over no matter what I say, Ukyo gets tears in her eyes if I even mention breaking the engagement and Kodachi... ah hell, who'm I kiddin'? He stopped before the door that led to the dojo, his eyes were solemn, his face a little downcast and the familiarity of depression found it's way under his skin.   
  
"I'm just scared." He whispered. A sardonic smile curved his lips. "Cats be damned. I'm terrified to death of a girl." His eyes found the form of Akane through the opening between the doors, "That girl in particular."   
  
Gripping the bucket of soapy water with both hands, Akane grunted as she struggled to pull it to the middle of the training hall. Walking up behind, Ranma tilted his head to enjoy the view. After all, a man who doesn't appreciate the finer things in life doesn't deserve to breath.   
  
"Need any help?" He asked her with a toothy grin. Akane turned her head and tried to blow her bangs out of her face.   
  
"What do you think?"   
  
"Well now, I think you're perfectly capable of doing this, as well as anything else you so desire, all on your own." Leaning against the doorjamb, he motioned toward her with his hands, "You tell me that enough, anyway."  
  
"Oh, stop being a smart ass and help me." She breathed out, straightening up and placing her hands on her hips. Ranma continued grinning and took a drink from the soda he grabbed from the kitchen on his way out. "The sooner we get this started... yadda yadda yadda... and so on." She said, brushing her bangs out of her face once again. She gave up with a frustrated sigh when they floated back down to her eyes. Quickly reaching out, Ranma took the silky strand and tucked it behind her ear.   
  
"Yeah... " He whispered. "There's no use in waiting any longer." His eyes held hers for what seemed like an eternity. The underlying message in his words didn't go unnoticed by Akane as she stood there in front of him, her heart thumping wildly in her ears. Ranma's hand strayed to her cheek as his other came slowly to her hip. "Tell me no, 'Kane." He lifted his other hand to cup her face. "Tell me now, before I can't stop." His voice was hoarse with wanting. His brain clouded with desire. Akane closed her eyes for a moment, reveling in the feeling of his rough hands tenderly holding her. When she opened them again he was still watching, waiting.   
  
"I don't want you stop." She said surely. A smile softened his lips. And he let out the air he was holding.  
  
"Good." Suddenly his mouth was on hers. Gently pressing, pushing, pulling. It was sweet, passionate, powerful. Everything she'd imagined. Heat trapped throughout the day settled into the room like an old friend, smugly overriding the small amount of breeze that swept in through the door. There was the smell of blossoms, of freshly cut grass, of Ranma. Soap and Man. And yet so much more.   
  
With his mouth teasing hers, he pulled her closer to him, wrapping one arm around her back. His fingertips traced lightly over her face, followed by his lips, coaxing the tension away. Then there was only the sound of their beating hearts, of her sigh, of his small throaty groans. Her arms rose up to welcome him.   
  
He lingered there, mouth pressed to mouth, the scrape of teeth, the sultry mating of tongues, until she was sunk deep in the peace and pleasure he offered. There was no choice now but to feel. He was subtly, slowly nudging her emotions to the surface. Everything they had been through. The fighting, the crying, the harsh words and sweet reunions. As a flash of Akane's cold, motionless body streaked across Ranma's mind, he slowly pulled back and rested his forehead on hers. There wasn't a day that passed when he didn't think of Saffron. The block of ice that resided in his stomach since that day slowly began to melt with her touch.  
  
"I've wanted this--" He whispered.  
  
"--For so long." Akane finished, her voice low and sexy. Ranma kissed her cheeks, her eyelids, her nose, then finally found her lips again. "More, Ranma." She said huskily, her voice thick like honey over brown sugar.  
  
He was making her pulse tremble, her muscles go limps, her heart stutter. She leaned fully into him, and Ranma thought his knees would give out. This is it. He thought. What I've always wanted.... what I'll always want. As he bent down and swept her up, he whispered her name. Without breaking contact, Ranma managed to find his way from the dojo, to the house, up the stairs and into Akane's bedroom. When Akane's eyes opened, a quick flash of panic coursed through her. But when Ranma's lips found that spot on the column of her throat, she threw caution to the wind.... as the saying goes.   
  
His hands, powerful hands that had seen a lifetime of martial arts, began to move over her. He soothed even as he enticed. He could feel the war between need and doubt being waged through her. He could see the same conflict in her face. Keeping his own desire at bay he patiently, even compassionately, seduced. Long, stirring kisses; lazy, languid caresses. As her body melted against his, as his name tumbled from her lips, he realized he wasn't blocking his desire at all. This was exactly what he wanted. Lowering her to the bed, Ranma let his fingers dance over her closed eye lids,   
  
"Look at me." His chest heaved with each breath as he braced himself over her. "Look at me, Akane." Her eyes fluttered open, the irises dark as midnight. "This is more." He lowered his mouth to hers and the words were muffled against her lips. "This is more."  
*****************************************  
  
Nabiki dropped her shopping bags on the tile floor of the entry way and slipped off her shoes. Examining her newly polished nails she walked to kitchen to grab something sweet to drink. Ducking underneath the cloth that hung from the kitchen doorway, she spotted Ranma sitting on the counter, one arm propped up on a knee, the other leg dangling over the side. The shadow of a grin didn't go unnoticed by her.   
  
"You seem awfully chipper on this hot as hell day. What's with the face. You look like you conquered some great quest, or something" She said, opening the fridge and letting the blast of cold air sweep over her.   
  
"Yeah. You could say that. " Was his reply, his voice deep in his throat. Nabiki grabbed the drink and sat on the floor in front of the open fridge door.   
  
"You an' Akane do anything today?" Her eyebrow shot up at the smirk that popped on his face. Ranma looked at her and a slow, sexy grin spread across his lips, causing her pulse to quicken slightly. Jumping from the counter, he shoved his hands in his pockets and headed for the door. Before leaving he looked at her with a look of complete satisfaction dancing in his eyes,   
  
"Yeah. You could say that, too." Nabiki wasn't stupid. She knew that look. Hell... she'd caused that look too many times on Kun.... er.. other guys for her to not know what that look meant.   
  
"Um.. did I miss something." She asked him, but he had already left. Crawling on the floor, she stuck her head out of the kitchen towards the living room. She saw Ranma's back as he passionately kissed a girl. No, not just a girl, her sister. "Apparently I did." She pulled her head back into the kitchen and listened to her sisters contented sighs. "Can you guys take it somewhere else?! I'd like to leave this room sometime today!" Nabiki shouted out. Her question was answered with Akane's giggles and Ranma's bellows of laughter.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Well now. Ya'll can't be too hard on me. This was my first attempt at fanfiction so many years ago and it's been sitting on my computer ever since. I remember when I first got into the Ranma series, I knew from the get go that Ranma and Akane were to end up together. Well, you can only imagine my surprise when I read the ending, and didn't get my fireworks that I was dead set on. So instead, I create scenarios (and I have plenty) on my own. Sometimes the story flops and sometimes it fares okay. But no matter what the review, I'll always write. 


End file.
